Cephas Iorhemen …As monarchs allocate lands for resettlement of victims
Both the Federal and Benue State Governments at the weekend said they have commenced the process to relocate thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of suspected Fulani militia attacks currently wallowing in penury in designated camps back to their ancestral homes.
This is just traditional rulers in Kwande and Logo local government areas of the state have donated lands for the construction of shelters for the returning IDPs.
Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Betta Edu, accompanied by the State’s Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hon. Aondowase Kunde, disclosed this during a visit to some IDP camps in the state.
The Minister who was represented by the National Programme Manager, Renewed Hope Shelter for the Poor, Refugees and IDPs, Hon. Chidimma Makuachukwu, expressed the concern of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the plight of the IDPs stressing that the provision of shelter in a safer environment was the first step among other measures put in place by the Tinubu administration to impact the people of need.
Hon. Edu noted that the most important thing at the moment was to build secured homes for the displaced victims, as according to her, security matters were on the priority list of the Tinubu’s administration to curb the menace, while plans were also underway to provide them with facilities for education, clinic, electricity and markets.
She urged the Benue people to key into the various empowerment programmes rolled out by the federal government and commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for recognizing the need to resettle the IDPs.
The Minister thanked the Chiefs for allocating land for the project, assuring that sooner rather than later, actual construction work would commence at the designated sites.
“We have the Renewed Hope Job Creation, Renewed Hope At Risk School Children, Renewed Hope Home Grown School Feeding Programmes, and Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer.
“We also have the Renewed Hope GEEP, Renewed Hope Alternate School Programme and Renewed Hope Community Social Development Project; and I would encourage everyone to apply to benefit from the various programmes” she added.
In a remark, the state’s Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management urged communities to support the federal government as it has begun plans to resettle IDPs in the state.
Mr. Kunde said the joint visit to Kwande and Logo LGAs by the Minister was a demonstration of the commitment of President Tinubu to support the resettlement plan of the state government.
He said the visit would be reciprocated to other parts of the state with displaced persons due to insurgency.
The commissioner urged traditional rulers in the affected areas to give maximum cooperation to the programme, emphasizing that returning the displaced victims home is a process and providing shelter must be given serious attention.
New Telegraph reports that four council wards are affected in Kwande where a large expanse of land was donated at Waya and Anyiase communities; while in Logo local government the land was allocated at Azera and Anyiin with five council wards affected.
Speaking, the Mue Ter Ichôngo in the Kwande Area Traditional Council, His Royal Highness Simon Baver and Mue Ter Ipusu in the Logo Area Traditional Council, His Royal Highness Enoch Iorhuna, all welcome the plan to resettle their displaced ones.
The two monarchs said they had been looking forward to when their people displaced due to attacks by the suspected armed Fulani terrorists would go home and commended Governor Alia for working to actualize his campaign promise.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), James Iorapuu, pledged the agency’s maximum support to the projects and welfare of the IDPs.
Mr Iorpuu said his agency in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), has commenced biometric verification of IDPs for ease of allocation of homes.
